Archive for the 'Ray Emery' Tag Under 'Ducks' Category

ANAHEIM -- After relieving Dan Ellis in the third period of the Ducks' 4-1 Game 1 loss to Nashville, Ray Emery said he believes he's fit to start Game 2 on Friday night if given the assignment.

Emery, who returned to action after missing a week due to a lower-body injury, could very well draw the start after Ellis allowed all four goals in the 24 shots he faced before being pulled less than a minute into the third after Mike Fisher's second tally of the night.

"I've been getting better," said Emery, who stopped the six shots he faced Wednesday. "I felt like I could contribute. That's why I was backing up."

"I'm not sure what's going to happen. My body feels good enough to get out there and practice [through] a full practice I felt good last night in the game. It's day by day. Right now it feels good."

Said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle: "He played last night. I would say Ray Emery is pretty much close 100 percent."

ANAHEIM -- Dan Ellis slowly skated off the ice as Ray Emery passed by him on the way to the Ducks' goal after Nashville's Mike Fisher made it a four-goal lead in an eventual 4-1 win by the Predators in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.

Emery was replacing Ellis just 56 seconds into the third period and he might be doing just that for Game 2 on Friday night at Honda Center.

In a rare display of candor about his goaltending situation, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said he wanted to get Emery some action if the situation presented itself. Emery returned to action after missing a week due to a lower-body injury.

"That was the plan if things didn't go our way in the third period," Carlyle said. "We were going to give him some minutes because there's always the option of using him. He hasn't seen the net in a while.

Nashville's Pekka Rinne stopped 26 0f 27 Ducks shots Wednesday night, leading the Predators to a 4-1 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.

Game 2 is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Honda Center.

Rinne was brilliant at times -- particularly turning aside Teemu Selanne with a first-period skate save -- and solid throughout for the Predators, who are trying to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Mike Fisher scored twice and Shea Weber andSteve Sullivan once for Nashville. Dan Ellis started for the Ducks but did not play well, allowing four goals on 24 shots.

After Fisher's second goal made it 4-0 just 56 seconds into the third period, Coach Randy Carlyle pulled Ellis and replaced him with Ray Emery.

ANAHEIM -- Nick Bonino's lack of production with the Ducks ultimately got him a one-way ticket to Syracuse when the calendar turned to 2011. It was his strong play with the Crunch in the American Hockey League that got him a ticket back to Orange County.

And that might earn him a possible spot in the lineup for Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals against Nashville. Bonino was skating on the third line with Matt Beleskey and Brandon McMillan during Wednesday's morning workout.

"I'm just going to be prepared," Bonino said. "I'm going to go home and prepare like I'm going to play. And if I play, then that's great. If I don't, whoever plays will do great. Either way, I'm looking forward to tonight."

Bonino was recalled on Saturday prior to the season finale against the Kings but didn't appear in the game. But the rookie center finished up well in Syracuse and compiled 12 goals and 33 assists in 50 games over two separate stints.

"Just more confident as the year went on I adapted more to the pro game, the length of the season and kind of the grind," Bonino said. "We had 18 games in 30 days down there in one stretch. It's good to be playing games and good to be getting your confidence back. The last month or so, I played my best hockey so it's a good time to peak."

ANAHEIM -- Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said he expects Ray Emery to be available for Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals against Nashville after the goalie, who has been nursing a lower-body injury practiced on Tuesday.

Whether that means that Carlyle will suddenly pencil Emery for the start remains to be seen. The coach has long adhered to a longstanding policy of not announcing his starting goaltender for any game -- preseason, regular season or postseason.

Emery took part in the entire workout as he switched off with Dan Ellis and Jonas Hiller, saying afterward that he is "slowly getting better." Carlyle said the goal of a full practice session was accomplished.

"That's been the plan," Carlyle said. "I haven't seen the trainer yet but in all likelihood he'll be available to us tomorrow."

Defenseman Francois Beauchemin also practiced in full after being allowed to take Monday off in order to heal up from a shot that he was hit with during Saturday's victory over the Kings in the season finale.

With Ray Emery and Jonas Hiller still in varying degrees of recovery, it appears Dan Ellis will open this series in goal for the Ducks.

If so, he'll face a team he knows well, from the inside really. Ellis spent three seasons with Nashville, going 49-42-8 from 2007-10.

"It really doesn't matter who your opponent is," he said, downplaying the significance of the situation. "You're ready to go against anyone. The playoffs are such a special time, such a fun time. This is what we get paid to get to and to get a chance to move on toward the Stanley Cup."

Ellis has faced the Predators twice this season, his teams losing both times. On March 24, in a game that was better known as Hiller's failed return from vertigo symptoms, he played just under 46 minutes, stopping 17 of 19 shots in a 5-4 Nashville victory.

Ellis started against the Predators on Oct. 24 when he was with Tampa Bay. He stopped 22 of 26 shots that game, a 4-3 Nashville victory.

Emery's ailment could very well open the door for Dan Ellis to get the Game 1 start. Ellis allowed just one goal each in wins on consecutive nights and has stopped 80 of 83 shots he's faced since relieving Emery in the second period of a victory over San Jose last week.

"It's always good to be able to develop a little bit of a rhythm and get back into feeling games and stuff like that," Ellis said. "I think those games were helpful as well as going in that one game that Ray couldn't quite finish. It always helps to get your timing back and get into game shape."

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle also talked about the choices that he has and Jonas Hiller (vertigo) updated his status in a story that can be found later at http://www.ocregister.com/sports.

ANAHEIM -- Ray Emery's readiness for game action is still in question as he is still trying to recover from a lower-body injury, putting into question his availability for a potential Game 1 start against Nashville on Wednesday night.

Emery hasn't played since he had to pull himself out midway through a start against San Jose last week. On Monday, he said that he didn't think he would be able to play if the Ducks had a game.

"I've got a little ways to go," Emery said. "As soon as I feel comfortable and I can contribute, I'll make myself available to play."

Emery skated briefly before the club's practice and then had a longer session afterward, where he took shots in goal. "We'll see if he has a decent day," Coach Randy Carlyle said. "He'll probably skate with our team tomorrow if so."

He had become the somewhat forgotten man in the Ducks' goaltender derby, but Dan Ellis produced a memorable performance Friday.

He stopped 23 of 24 Kings' shots, helping the Ducks to their playoff-clinching 2-1 victory.

Coach Randy Carlyle called a stop Ellis made on a wide-open, in-close Wayne Simmonds in the first period "the game-changer" and "the game-saver."

"We missed the assignment," Carlyle explained. "Two guys went to one and Simmonds was all alone. Dan Ellis came up with a big, game-saving glove save. We were able to recover from that after the first period and got our game going in the second."

Ellis, who improved to 7-2-1 in 10 starts for the Ducks, was filling in for Ray Emery (lower body injury). With All-Star Jonas Hiller (vertigo) out, Emery had emerged as the No. 1 goaltender until he was unable to finish the game Wednesday against San Jose.

Teemu Selanne scored twice Friday, leading the Ducks into the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 2-1 victory over the Kings.

The 40-year-old winger, in perhaps the final regular season home game of his career, tied the score, 1-1, at the 9:55 mark of the second period. His game-winner came at 5:54 of the third. Jason Blake assisted on both goals.

The victory lifted the Ducks' point total to 97 and clinched at least the eighth and final postseason spot in the Western Conference.

With Ray Emery ailing with a lower-body injury and Jonas Hiller still battling vertigo symptoms, the Ducks turned back to Dan Ellis in goal. He stopped 23 of 24 shots, giving up only Ryan Smyth's first-period score.

The same two teams finish the regular season against one another at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Staples Center.